A 20-pound turkey is more than enough for the average family on Thanksgiving, but the Salvation Army has a lot more than an average family to feed.

On Wednesday morning, its homeless shelter began preparing 1,200 pounds of turkey, 500 pounds of green beans, 2,200 rolls and 40 gallons of gravy to feed more than 2,000 homeless people for its annual holiday lunch Thursday.

A team of four cooks began the food preparation in the large industrial kitchen at 9:30 a.m. and continued through the afternoon, said food service director Ray Lanigan, who has worked on the event for 12 years.

“It’s really about reaching people in their time of need, to show that there’s other people out there that care about their situation and making sure that they still can enjoy the family Thanksgiving experience,” Lanigan said.

The Salvation Army has been accepting food donations from Albertson’s, the North Texas Food Bank and the community for a week for the Thanksgiving meal, said Jeff Upperman, associate director of operations with the Salvation Army’s social services center.

Typically, the center on Harry Hines Boulevard, across from Parkland Memorial Hospital, serves 1,200 meals a day to about 600 homeless people. But the Thanksgiving Day meal is a much bigger undertaking.

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